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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013
I'm disappointed. In my opinion, the only way to effectively improve transit on the Boulevard is to build the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway/Elevated.
First of all, the Northeast holds the majority of Philly's population. The population density along the Boulevard alone calls for heavy rail along it. Secondly, heavy rail would be faster and more convenient when it comes to getting to Center City. Assuming that the Boulevard Subway/Elevated would make a connection at Erie on the BSL mainline, where a flying junction currently exists, it could run express from Erie to Walnut-Locust upon entering the mainline, stopping at Girard, Spring Garden, Race-Vine, and City Hall. Additionally, some infrastructure already exists to support it. As previously mentioned, there is a flying junction immediately north of Erie on the BSL mainline. Finally, the system would be less susceptible to the harsh weather conditions that exist in Philadelphia during the winter.
Los Angeles is borrowing money from the federal government to complete their transit system. Why can't Philly do the same? A BRT-Lite system is just a temporary fix to a longstanding problem; creating the Boulevard Subway/Elevated would be an excellent solution to the problem of traveling in the Northeast.
P.S. Why not keep it below ground northwest under Germantown Avenue, northeast under Hunting Park Avenue, and then make it elevated east of 5th street? This would cut down on costs a little bit as an elevated heavy rail system is cheaper to build than a subway.
With the Republicans in control of the house & senate in DC there is only so much money for public transportation. Right now the feds are not supporting streetcars or heavy rail. I agree that a subway-elevated would be best. Why don't you write to Fox at the Department of Transportation & suggest that heavy rail & streetcars be reinstated. He likes streetcars. Maybe if he gets input he'll try to do something about it.
With the Republicans in control of the house & senate in DC there is only so much money for public transportation. Right now the feds are not supporting streetcars or heavy rail. I agree that a subway-elevated would be best. Why don't you write to Fox at the Department of Transportation & suggest that heavy rail & streetcars be reinstated. He likes streetcars. Maybe if he gets input he'll try to do something about it.
As a Republican, I agree. Anti-transit policies are what I dislike the most about my party.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013
As a Republican, I agree. Anti-transit policies are what I dislike the most about my party.
Get together a group. Don't do form letters. Send individual letters to the DOT. Remember Fox likes streetcars. He ran into problems with lack of federal support as mayor of Charlotte. Send letters to members of the house & senate. Write letters to the editor at the Washington Post. By all means mention that you are a registered Republican. Make a stink. Remind the fools that not all Republicans are right-wing. Try reminding them that a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, was responsible for the interstate system. They don't want to fund highways & public transportation reduces the wear on the roads & bridges.
Get together a group. Don't do form letters. Send individual letters to the DOT. Remember Fox likes streetcars. He ran into problems with lack of federal support as mayor of Charlotte. Send letters to members of the house & senate. Write letters to the editor at the Washington Post. By all means mention that you are a registered Republican. Make a stink. Remind the fools that not all Republicans are right-wing. Try reminding them that a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, was responsible for the interstate system. They don't want to fund highways & public transportation reduces the wear on the roads & bridges.
You will be wasting your time doing any of this. Since so many base voters of the Republican Party are not moderate AT ALL, all the politicians that might be moderate are moving rightward to appease that base.
But this is not a political thread so I will leave it there.
I'm disappointed. In my opinion, the only way to effectively improve transit on the Boulevard is to build the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway/Elevated.
I agree, but see my article as to why it ain't a-gonna happen anytime soon. More on this when you get to the subject below.
Quote:
First of all, the Northeast holds the majority of Philly's population. The population density along the Boulevard alone calls for heavy rail along it.
Oops! That's not true.
Half of the city's population is about 750,000 people. The Northeast has nowhere near that many people living in it. It's about the size of my hometown of Kansas City, Mo.: 450,000 people. That's more than live in any other single region of the city, but it's less than one-third of the city's population.
And it's less densely built overall than any other part of the city. (That's because those 450,000 people occupy a territory that accounts for much closer to half of the city's 135-square-mile territory.) But there are still a good number of people within striking distance of the Boulevard, and even more who would likely access the line via rerouted feeder buses. And the Boulevard could certainly be more densely developed, a likely result of the construction of a rapid rail transit line along it. (Not to mention that there are some other, denser commercial corridors nearby like Castor Avenue. IMO the greatest transformative potential, much as the City Planning Commission envisioned the last time it studied the corridor, is at Roosevelt Mall, the Northeast's "downtown.")
Quote:
Secondly, heavy rail would be faster and more convenient when it comes to getting to Center City. Assuming that the Boulevard Subway/Elevated would make a connection at Erie on the BSL mainline, where a flying junction currently exists, it could run express from Erie to Walnut-Locust upon entering the mainline, stopping at Girard, Spring Garden, Race-Vine, and City Hall. Additionally, some infrastructure already exists to support it. As previously mentioned, there is a flying junction immediately north of Erie on the BSL mainline. Finally, the system would be less susceptible to the harsh weather conditions that exist in Philadelphia during the winter.
A note on the flying junction at Erie: A facing local-express crossover would have to be installed south of the station to enable Boulevard trains to use the express tracks. There is no provision for this at Erie, but there are pads for such crossovers immediately north of North Philadelphia.
Quote:
Los Angeles is borrowing money from the federal government to complete their transit system. Why can't Philly do the same? A BRT-Lite system is just a temporary fix to a longstanding problem; creating the Boulevard Subway/Elevated would be an excellent solution to the problem of traveling in the Northeast.
P.S. Why not keep it below ground northwest under Germantown Avenue, northeast under Hunting Park Avenue, and then make it elevated east of 5th street? This would cut down on costs a little bit as an elevated heavy rail system is cheaper to build than a subway.
Actually, the Federal Transit Administration provides grants, not loans, for constructing mass transit facilities under the New Starts program, which is what's funding LA's new subway tunnel and light rail extensions and would fund any new transit infrastructure (including BRT) on the Boulevard. The rules require that the local recipient (city government, county government, regional agency, mix of the preceding) come up with 50% of the cost of building the facility in order to receive New Starts grant funding. If you read my article, that would be anywhere from $1.5 billion to $2.3 billion for a Boulevard subway, and - as I also wrote - no one has that kind of money just lying around right now hereabouts. We just might be able to cough up a 50% match for a BRT line, which is why that's what everyone's talking about right now. There are, however, ways we can rebuild the Boulevard so that a BRT busway could easily be upgraded to rail rapid transit down the road. I suggested one in 2012.
The Northwest Spur subway is definitely dead. No one's talking about tunneling under Germantown Avenue, even though there would probably be some value in converting one of the two Chestnut Hill Regional Rail branches (I nominate the West branch, whose route into Center City is less direct than that of the East branch) to rapid transit. IMO, the Boulevard line should remain underground through all of the older part of the Northeast up to Cottman Avenue at least, and preferably Pennypack Circle.
Get together a group. Don't do form letters. Send individual letters to the DOT. Remember Fox likes streetcars. He ran into problems with lack of federal support as mayor of Charlotte. Send letters to members of the house & senate. Write letters to the editor at the Washington Post. By all means mention that you are a registered Republican. Make a stink. Remind the fools that not all Republicans are right-wing. Try reminding them that a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, was responsible for the interstate system. They don't want to fund highways & public transportation reduces the wear on the roads & bridges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01
You will be wasting your time doing any of this. Since so many base voters of the Republican Party are not moderate AT ALL, all the politicians that might be moderate are moving rightward to appease that base.
But this is not a political thread so I will leave it there.
If you're writing to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, a Democrat will read your letter.
The Republicans you need to write don't represent you in Congress; they're from other districts.
I agree, but see my article as to why it ain't a-gonna happen anytime soon. More on this when you get to the subject below.
Quote:
Oops! That's not true.
Half of the city's population is about 750,000 people. The Northeast has nowhere near that many people living in it. It's about the size of my hometown of Kansas City, Mo.: 450,000 people. That's more than live in any other single region of the city, but it's less than one-third of the city's population.
And it's less densely built overall than any other part of the city. (That's because those 450,000 people occupy a territory that accounts for much closer to half of the city's 135-square-mile territory.) But there are still a good number of people within striking distance of the Boulevard, and even more who would likely access the line via rerouted feeder buses. And the Boulevard could certainly be more densely developed, a likely result of the construction of a rapid rail transit line along it. (Not to mention that there are some other, denser commercial corridors nearby like Castor Avenue. IMO the greatest transformative potential, much as the City Planning Commission envisioned the last time it studied the corridor, is at Roosevelt Mall, the Northeast's "downtown.")
My bad! I got a little bit ahead of myself there. What I originally meant was that the Northeast holds the largest segment of Philly's population, not the majority. Also, I agree with you on Castor Avenue. An excellent proposal would be for a branch line of the El, diverging from the mainline past Tioga and following Castor until it reaches Busleton Avenue.
Quote:
A note on the flying junction at Erie: A facing local-express crossover would have to be installed south of the station to enable Boulevard trains to use the express tracks. There is no provision for this at Erie, but there are pads for such crossovers immediately north of North Philadelphia.
That's true. If the Boulevard Subway-Elevated ever does become realized, then this provision should absolutely be included in the plan. Boulevard trains should continue as express towards Walnut-Locust, in my opinion. I would imagine that most Boulevard riders would be attempting to reach points in Center City, rather than, say, North Philadelphia.
Quote:
Actually, the Federal Transit Administration provides grants, not loans, for constructing mass transit facilities under the New Starts program, which is what's funding LA's new subway tunnel and light rail extensions and would fund any new transit infrastructure (including BRT) on the Boulevard. The rules require that the local recipient (city government, county government, regional agency, mix of the preceding) come up with 50% of the cost of building the facility in order to receive New Starts grant funding. If you read my article, that would be anywhere from $1.5 billion to $2.3 billion for a Boulevard subway, and - as I also wrote - no one has that kind of money just lying around right now hereabouts. We just might be able to cough up a 50% match for a BRT line, which is why that's what everyone's talking about right now. There are, however, ways we can rebuild the Boulevard so that a BRT busway could easily be upgraded to rail rapid transit down the road. I suggested one in 2012.
The Northwest Spur subway is definitely dead. No one's talking about tunneling under Germantown Avenue, even though there would probably be some value in converting one of the two Chestnut Hill Regional Rail branches (I nominate the West branch, whose route into Center City is less direct than that of the East branch) to rapid transit. IMO, the Boulevard line should remain underground through all of the older part of the Northeast up to Cottman Avenue at least, and preferably Pennypack Circle.
Thank you for enlightening me on the aspects of the FTA New Starts program. I didn't know that it was a grant system. I thought that the FTA loaned money for projects of this caliber. I read over it when I read your article, but I missed this part.
Trust me, I did read your article (which was well-written), and I do agree with the overall basis of it: transportation on the Boulevard needs immediate improvement. If provisions are kept for HR rapid transit, then I will be happy. I just have a collective frustration at all of the potential lines that were never built. Back when private companies ran the show with big dreams and even bigger capital budgets, some great proposals came out of the pipeline: the Roxborough Subway-Elevated, the Chestnut Street Subway, the Woodland Avenue Elevated, the Front Street Elevated, and the Center City Loop. The system that we have now is a mere vestige of what it could have been. We could have easily been the best transit city in the world if we had all of the potential rapid transit lines, along with the Commuter Tunnel. Now, all we can do is dream big and watch our budget grow smaller and smaller. I didn't mean to sound ignorant and I'm not being a Negadelphian; rather, I'm just disappointed that my city isn't getting the best system possible. We deserve a world-class system of the likes of what I have seen in New York, DC, and Paris. I believe that SEPTA is one of the best systems out there, but there's still room for improvement.
P.S. I agree with your sentiment about the CHW. If the CHW was taken off the NEC, then both SEPTA and Amtrak could increase frequencies. SEPTA could especially increase capacity on the Trenton Line. Another option would be to build the Swampoodle Connection and run the CHW through the ex-Reading main.
Get together a group. Don't do form letters. Send individual letters to the DOT. Remember Fox likes streetcars. He ran into problems with lack of federal support as mayor of Charlotte. Send letters to members of the house & senate. Write letters to the editor at the Washington Post. By all means mention that you are a registered Republican. Make a stink. Remind the fools that not all Republicans are right-wing. Try reminding them that a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, was responsible for the interstate system. They don't want to fund highways & public transportation reduces the wear on the roads & bridges.
Exactly! More of us Republicans should be like Dwight. He believed in public transportation, set up the Interstate Highway system, and got it done. Despite opinions on urban freeways, the Interstate highway system has paid for itself. I'll do you one better (if it can even be described as such), however: I'm seriously considering running for public office later on in life. I'm 19 right now and focusing on a career in medicine (potentially business if I choose it as my minor), but politics has always been of interest to me. I'm not like rural Republicans; I'm an urban/suburban Republican who realizes what a city needs to thrive. I realize that a city needs a robust transportation network to thrive, NOT just a large highway that destroys neighborhoods and cuts people off from attractions such as a waterfront. I also realize that returns (aka revenue) is dependent upon the amount of investment (aka spending). We should spend money to make money.
I don't know how you feel about politicians in general, but that's my two cents. I didn't mean for this to sound like a campaign speech lol!
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarketStEl
If you're writing to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, a Democrat will read your letter.
The Republicans you need to write don't represent you in Congress; they're from other districts.
Yes, Fox is a Democrat. However, he's currently the guy with the power. I also included the information that he ran into a problem with what the federal government is currently supporting when he was mayor of Charlotte. I figured that the poster could be creative.
I assumed that the poster is represented by a Democrat. Writing to Republicans in power in Congress can't hurt. They want their candidate to win next year. Can it possibly hurt if they get letters from Republicans who say I don't like the party's stance on public transportation & this could have an effect on my vote in 2016? They want to be reelected but they also want their guy to win the presidential race.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,698,410 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013
Exactly! More of us Republicans should be like Dwight. He believed in public transportation, set up the Interstate Highway system, and got it done. Despite opinions on urban freeways, the Interstate highway system has paid for itself. I'll do you one better (if it can even be described as such), however: I'm seriously considering running for public office later on in life. I'm 19 right now and focusing on a career in medicine (potentially business if I choose it as my minor), but politics has always been of interest to me. I'm not like rural Republicans; I'm an urban/suburban Republican who realizes what a city needs to thrive. I realize that a city needs a robust transportation network to thrive, NOT just a large highway that destroys neighborhoods and cuts people off from attractions such as a waterfront. I also realize that returns (aka revenue) is dependent upon the amount of investment (aka spending). We should spend money to make money.
I don't know how you feel about politicians in general, but that's my two cents. I didn't mean for this to sound like a campaign speech lol!
I'm an independent. I totally disagree with the right-wing of the Republican party. There are stances that the Republicans have had for years that I find to be repugnant. Still, I reserve the right to vote for the occasional moderate Republican. Republicans & Democrats used to come in all varieties, from right to left.
Keep in mind, in presidential politics, it's all about the Electoral College. Pennsylvania, Virginia & North Carolina are all considered swing states. Your vote counts as much as anyone else. Write to the people in power & tell them what you disagree with. They aren't stupid. They know that people like you are the potential future of their party.
Write to the Secretary of Transportation. Tell him what you think that Philadelphia needs. It can't hurt.
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